Victoria's Yogurt: Amande Almondmilk Yogurt.

Cultured almondmilk yogurt. I've been counting the days for something like this to become available.

It took me some time to see the soy yogurt side of things - after years of a relationship with Greek-style yogurt. Coconut milk yogurt is tasty, too, but a bit harder to find.

Since almondmilk is my favorite non-dairy milk choice, obviously a yogurt version of it is a promising find. This is also great news for anyone with a soy allergy who happens to be vegan.

A brand called Amande (they are nearly non-existent via search engine) appeared on the yogurt shelf at Whole Foods. Hesitant when I did not see a plain or vanilla variety, I decided on the strawberry flavor.

Bad move, I know. Flavored yogurt has never held much appeal for me. If I want berries in my yogurt, I'll add fresh ones. If I want sugar in my yogurt, I'll add maple or agave.  I don't want to taste "essence of strawberry" with a few bits of fruit chunks.

I want strawberries that were sliced only seconds ago, and I do not want my yogurt to be a bubblegum shade of PINK.

Victoria's Secret and my yogurt should not be in the same marketing bed together.

That said....How does it stack up to soy yogurt?



Nutritionally, it is very similar, and contains live cultures, but the major downfall? There is no calcium. Calcium is one of my most significant needs as a female vegan,  and adding soy yogurt to my diet has helped me satisfy that requirement.

In fact, there is very little nutritional benefit in this yogurt. Even the protein amount is insignificant. You'd be better off drinking a glass of almond milk or snacking on a handful of almonds.

I tried to get over the color, I really did, and then I dipped my spoon. I noticed right off that the almond yogurt was much thicker than the soy yogurt.

Then I took the first plunge and immediately thought of the word STARCHY.

Another word: GUMMY.

I scanned the label again and yep - Rice Starch, Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Tapioca.

I cautiously dipped back in and just found myself disappointed. Not to mention I had 3 containers of soy milk yogurt smugly staring at me, waiting for me to crawl back.

Then I realized something. Amande is the Victoria's Secret of yogurt. It's just not good enough. The quality is not quite there. It'll never be La Perla.

Maybe, if it was plain or vanilla, I could get over the interesting texture, but somehow, I don't think the trade off is quite worth it. 

Not when the delicious Whole Soy yogurts give me 35% of my daily calcium and have two very necessary, creamy flavors in their line: Plain and Vanilla. Discreetly sexy.

Previously:

Getting to Know Soy Yogurt: A Love Affair.

Update:

The Second Date: Amande Almondmilk Yogurt

Vegan Deli: Chickpea Tempeh Melt.

I love a good Chickpea Salad.

I think it might even be my favorite deli-style sandwich.

But I also get a little starry-eyed for a TLT - Tempeh/Lettuce/Tomato on toasted rye or spelt bread.

Who says you can't have both? Cool, zippy filling, crisp greens, juicy summer tomato, smoky tempeh topper, on warm toast. I love this recipe from Horizons that appeared in Vegetarian Times last year.

For the "Melt" version of this, add Daiya cheese and bake in your toaster oven until you reach melted magnificence.

Make it spicy or add smoked paprika and you've got an instant party spread. Hummus just isn't enough sometimes.

Vegan Tapas at Amada

It's no secret that I used to be a Garces Girl - That's because the Garces Empire is extremely vegetarian friendly. Since transitioning to vegan, well, let's say I haven't been to a single one of my old haunts. That's sad, right? Until last weekend.

I think Mr. Vedge was a little surprised when I suggested that we check out Amada for a post-movie drink and some eats at the bar.

Amada has always been my favorite Jose Garces restaurant. Back then, I found it quite easy to have a spectacular experience at the Old City tapas restaurant, and of course I enjoyed the interior and atmosphere more so than any of the other eye-appealing restaurants.

Of course we weren't expecting there to be a table available last minute on a Saturday. The bar is often our favorite place to dine because we love inspecting the liquor set-up and the bartender's technique.

The bartender is often the window to a restaurant's soul.

On this occasion, he was our Vegan MacGyver. He ran through the menu with us, letting us know which dishes could be prepared vegan or were already vegan, and the list was quite long. We were in good hands.

When a runner approached us with a plate of salad that had cheese on top, he sent her back before she could even get within feet of setting it down.

When another runner came by to drop off the side of goat cheese toast (for Josh, the vegetarian) to accompany a dish, he directed him to bring back a side of garlic toast without cheese for me.

He was also a really solid bartender, in case you were wondering.

So we dug in with starry eyes and here is what we ordered, vegan-style, at Amada:

Ensalada Verde (Green Salad with Asparagus, Favas, Avocado & Green Bean): Not your everyday pile of greens..
Olives

Garbanzos Con Espinacas (Chickpeas & Spinach): Smoked Paprika & Fried Chickpeas on top? Life is good.

Escalivada (Roasted Peppers &  Eggplant, Cipollini Onions & Confit Tomato, served w toast): That little touch of pinenut butter was unforgettable.

Wild Mushrooms a la Plancha: That extra touch of truffle oil takes you away.

And there are even more Verduras items that can be prepared vegan as well, but I was already sold on what I wanted by that time. The five dishes were more than enough for us - Chickpeas and favas have serious staying power.

The closer? Our bill for 5 dishes was under $75, with 3 drinks and coffee.

Amada, you win me. I can already tell my Spring 2011 will involve copious amounts of sangria and Ensalada Verde. Allow me to extract my finest Espadrilles from the shoe closet.

A Taste of Cafe at the Mills, New Vegan Eatery in East Falls.

I first heard about Cafe at the Mills on Twitter. A new vegan and vegetarian eatery in East Falls, with an emphasis on healthy food? And you're inviting me to a tasting prior to your opening? I'm in.

The cafe was a bit of a mini road trip for us, so we rented a car and zipped over in about 15 minutes. It was located in Sherman Mills, a residential/commercial/artist studio community just past Laurel Hill Cemetery. We took some photos while we waited for the chef to tell us about the food we would be sampling that day.

As the cafe itself was not yet ready for dining, and the owner wanted us to be comfortable, we were invited up to the owner's home, which was on-site. The consulting chef for the cafe went over each of the 4 mountainous salads that will be on the menu, with the nutritional philosophy behind each selection:

Greens Salad with Purple Kale, Spinach, Assorted Greens, with Pumpkinseed Dressing - Each salad weighs about a pound, so you are getting a pound of greens that is nutritionally superior to a pound of meat/starch/veeg on typical restaurant plate.

Smaller then the other salads, but rich in protein, the Sesame Tofu Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing served over greens was very refreshing. I especially like the uncooked tofu.

The Signature Cafe at the Mills Salad was a heaping pile of greens with raw chioga beets, carrots, sprouted lentils, and a vinegar-based dressing. None of the salads had any added sugar, oil, or salt, which I thought was cool, but I think the addition of herbs and spices would kick them up just a bit. I was happy with all of the salads, but I found this one to be the most special.

I noticed right away that the Quinoa & Raw Vegetable Salad was prepared with unrinsed quinoa. Perhaps intentionally? Not rinsing your quinoa can make it bitter, but this salad was tasty, especially with raw sweet potatoes (never thought of dicing them for a salad, great idea!), black beans, and scallions. I love my complete proteins...

A bulgur wheat salad was thrown into the mix, along with some hummus veggie wraps.

Dessert was supplied by Food for All in Mt. Airy, a gluten-free and vegan selection of Black Bean Brownies, Chocolate Cupcakes, and Apple Pie Bites...a devilish reply to a full plate of nourishing whole foods. A little taste of chocolate after a giant salad is always necessary. We both remarked at how moist these desserts were.

The one thing that struck us was how large the salads were - how do you control food costs when you are using local produce and serving 1 pound salads? We all  know how much a pound of salad would cost us at Whole Foods. I am curious to see how this will pan out - it's such an inspired idea.

I would like to check it out again soon to see how the cafe and its menu takes shape - I will post the menu when it becomes available. Those of you in the Art Museum area or near East Falls should definitely check it out - they are hoping to open next week.

The owner and team were so welcoming and excited about the food that it was easy to enjoy the afternoon with other healthy food seekers. We had walked in not knowing what to expect, and ended up leaving full and renewed. Thanks for having us, Cafe at the Mills, and best of luck on your opening.

Almond Milk & Oatmeal Cookie Oats.

Can you guess what's lurking in this bowl of shimmering oats?

It's an Oatmeal Cookie from Sweet Freedom Bakery, leftover from our V Day pick-up. I have a way of turning my oatmeal into dessert...I like my dessert in the morning and my savory at night.

I folded in some goldenberries and PB & Company White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter, Almond Milk, Flaxmeal, and Cinnamon...

Remember my Post-Thanksgiving Vegan Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal ?

Or my Rawtella-Covered Banana Oats?

My Dessert Oatmeal Bowls are extremely filling and very high in fiber, protein, calcium, and iron. All things that this vegan needs.

My Top Bean: Rhapsody Tempeh.

My favorite bean. It's a tough choice. There's my coffee avocation.  I'm a chickpea shareholder.  But, alas, it has to be tempeh. It's my clear preference for protein.

Rhapsody Natural Foods has a line of Organic Tempeh that I am mad for. I discovered it at Essene Market, available in original, BBQ, and Teriyaki flavors. We brought home the original and BBQ, but I was skeptical about anything "BBQ flavored".

I prefer flavoring my tempeh and tofu myself, so I rarely buy the brands with marinade. I usually have most of the ingredients at home to make my own marinade, and I buy most spices whole so I can grind them fresh for the most flavor, so why spend extra for that "convenience"? Doing it myself allows me to control the seasoning and does not take very long.

I needn't have worried. The Smoky BBQ flavor was so right on - nothing artificial tasting about it. I did a quick grill, 3 minutes on each side, but this soybean baddie was ready to eat and even tasted great cold right out of the package. I served it with baked truffled sweet potato fries and crispy kale, then tried the leftover tempeh the next day in a wrap with grilled onions, portabellos, and hummus. It was a winner both ways. The texture of the tempeh is more satisfying than other brands that I have tried.

Mr. Vedge declared it a new addiction.

Now - to play around with the Original flavor.

Hot for Piccata.

His piccata is so crippling that I do believe Taylor Swift wrote a song about it.

 Chickpea Piccata  from Appetite for Reduction (with vegan truffled mash, roasted portobellos) 

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling & Chocolate Ganache from Sweet Freedom Bakery

Cocoa Me.

I stay away from most hot cocoa mixes because they taste like powder and are chalky. And of course, there aren't many that are vegan.

Give me some plain cocoa powder (the good stuff, please) and almond milk, and I will froth up a perfectly foamy non-dairy mug of cocoa with my espresso machine. To sweeten it, I use a few drops of liquid Stevia and a dash of vanilla. It's so much better than the cocoa I remember - deep, dark, and satisfying.  Lately I've been enjoying a mug in the afternoon.

I would never think of ordering hot cocoa mix, even the vegan kind, for myself.

But Mr. Phillips knew that Cocoa V (our preferred vegan chocolaterie, see our Blossom Tour of NYC last fall and my first visit to Cocoa V last winter) could have the right cocoa mix for this fussy dame. So he ordered some Signature Spiced Hot Chocolate and a variety of chocolate bars, just in case. While I don't always love everything I try at Cocoa V, they do in fact have some very craveable cocoa treats.

First sip was fiery hot and I didn't like it. And then...something happened. I took a few more sips and ended up cradling the mug and really tasting the hot-but-not-uncomfortable lava, rolling it over and back. That cocoa I had asked him to share with me? It became mine, all mine. It was luscious.

The suggestion calls for quite a lot of the mix itself, so the next day, I tried adding just a few spoonfuls of the powder to more almond milk, attempting to cut the heat and sweetness. I warmed my milk in the new butter warmer, which I can assure you, will never be used for butter, ever.

I wanted a more subtle cocoa, and I nailed it. But for those of you who dig a full-throttle flame in your cocoa, follow the instructions and use the recommended serving of powder. It is an exceptional cocoa.

Could you put together your own mix at home? Certainly, and I will, but what a sweet gift this was...

Don't get me started on the Cocoa V chocolate bars...by the time Valentine's Day falls upon us, I expect our stash will have been madly and passionately exhausted. The Salted Almond Bar will be the first to go.

Eye Love.

My new silky coral tunic from Theme was an impulse buy that I do not regret. And I can't believe I didn't try Dr. Alkaitis Organic Eye Creme sooner.

[images via South Moon Under, Dr. Alkaitis]

Vegan Power Food in Rittenhouse Square.

We were dogsitting this week for my in-laws and their neighbors, so the easiest solution was to have a Rittenhouse Staycation at their place. They have a wonderful home that has everything we could possibly need for a few days, and is convenient to my usual hits: Le Pain Quotidien, Elixr Coffee, Lithe Method Rittenhouse, Barney's Co-op, Di Bruno Bros, and Nook Coffee.

A vegan left to their own devices in another person's kitchen...I was up for the challenge and cooked a few excellent meals during our stay. They happen to have an amazing kitchen with multiple workstations, organized ingredients, and double sinks, so it is always a breeze to cook there.

We began the day with some Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes (by far, my best pumpkin pancakes yet) that I made up on the spot, after locating flaxmeal and whole wheat flour, plus a can of pumpkin, in the cupboard.

Josh's mom had the Power Foods Cookbook on the counter, so I poked through to find plenty of vegan recipes and lots of my favorite things...I am certainly picking up a copy.

I decided to try a few of the recipes first.

I was inspired  by two different recipes, one for a Yellow Pepper Soup and another for a Spicy Sweet Potato Soup, so of course, I combined the two, which resulted in this bowl of brilliance. I tucked in some bits of kale, also.

For dessert, I wanted to try the Lemon Cream, a tofu pudding that was a snap to blend together. It was a light and tangy cream topped with blackberries that soothed  my hectic day. I cannot wait to make this again closer to spring.

Power Foods are so important to me, and clearly to this little lady as well:

Warming up to Rawtella.

The second my Rawtella order showed up, I had to crack open the jar. I love the boost of cacao - my antioxidant-rich chocolate fix of choice. Rawtella contains:


Organic raw fresh and soaked/dehydrated hazelnuts, organic raw cacao nibs, raw coconut sugar

The Raw/Organic/Vegan hazelnut spread was solid, which I attributed to its journey through the tundra that is most of the country right now.  On the jar, it says "Best served warm". As I have no microwave, I grabbed a spoon and dug right in, rather than taking the patient route of letting it adjust to my tropical temp apartment or heating some up on the stove.

I liked it raw.

A few days later, a gift showed up from my husband - a hot piece of All-Clad that I had been lusting over for months - the mini butter warmer. In true vegan spirit. My plan was to use it for quick sauces, to melt coconut oil, and of course, heat chocolate. The tribulations of living without a microwave - GONE.

Which also meant I could warm up that jar of Rawtella...He reads my mind sometimes.

This pot is obscenely cute...

Warmed up...Rawtella tastes like a fine chocolate sauce, with dark, savory undertones.

I liked it not-quite-raw even more...

I'm approaching this as more of a dessert sauce than a nut butter spread. I have high hopes for it with scones, crepes, ice cream, toast, smoothies, and cinnamon rolls...Rawtella-filled Cinnamon Rolls.

I also hear that there's some Spiced Hot Chocolate Mix from Cocoa V on its way and I can't think of a better excuse to season this pot.

Vegan Small Plates Dinner at Sankhya Yoga.

I first heard about Small Plates Philadelphia though my local yoga studio - on short notice. So I expected the turnout for the 5-course tasting menu with drink pairings for $10 to be relatively intimate. Especially since it is a small, newer studio. I could not pass up that deal - a vegan option! with drinks?! - and a yoga class taught right before dinner? I was in. And I easily convinced my yoga buddy and husband to join me.

The class and dinner was held at Sankhya Yoga's sister studio on Brown St., caddy-corner to Honey's Sit n Eat. We had a packed room for practice, so I was glad to see that dinner would be more than just a handful of folks. After yoga, a ton of guests showed up for the dinner itself. At least 50 people quickly filled the studio.

Small Plates Philadelphia is Steve Gravelle, local blogger of Or Until Golden Brown, and Jared Lucas, founder of Urban Ecofarms, and they were showcasing a new solution to organic and fully compostable tableware - Fareware. 

All of the food was prepared from scratch in Gravelle's South Philly kitchen. Wine and beer selections were chosen by the Wine School of Philadelphia's Zach Morris.

We jumped in line, anticipating a hungry, pushy crowd, but we were in a room of extremely polite and friendly

folks, and chatted with quite a few of them throughout the evening. 

Our First Course was a Vegan Red, White, and Blue Bean Burger on a pillowy wheat bun, with avocado crema and homemade chips.  I was impressed that even the buns were made by Gravelle, even if the sliders were more than a few bites and therefore not the easiest finger food. We found a spare corner and dissected our sliders, enjoying the garnacha.

We used one Areca Leaf Plate for the entire dinner and tried to use the same cup, as instructed, and the plates were composted at the end of the night and given to a farmer from Roxborough.

The plates were sturdy, appealing, and reusable - a plate I would definitely consider buying for parties and events. Most plastic tableware is not only terrible for the environment, it always looks tacky and dumbs down the presentation of your food. Not these plates. They were stunning.

The next course was a Vegan Mushroom "Wing" (the meat course had chicken wings) and I never like to feel that I am getting a veganized version inspired by a meat dish -- but this was different. The marinade on the mushrooms was rich and wonderful, highlighted by a lime ginger dipping sauce. Pair that with a ginger beer and you've got refreshing finger food.

By this time the vibe was "Yoga House Party" and this was something I could get with. Groups of yogis would trickle back into the studio room and practice in between courses, photographers were snapping away and making me wish I had brought my camera along (I had assumed it would have been rude and I never bring valuables to practice). 

There were vegans everywhere. The photographers were vegan. YES.

Third course brought on a Mashed Sweet Potato Bruschetta with Sauteed Kale and Onion. One of my most desired combos, and yes, you can bet I found the largest piece I could and washed it down with a Gewurztraminer.  I need more of this wine, immediately.

We decided to stick it out for the Fourth Course (including yoga, we had been there for 3.5 hours and I was thinking about my Mavea Water Pitcher full of cold, filtered water as dessert).  Ah, we were rewarded with a Vegan Apple/Orange/Lemon Cornbread (served with an IPA). Turns out, adding a layer of apple slices to the top of your cornbread is incredibly worthwhile. I'll have to try that soon. 

The recipes should be posted on the Or Until Golden Brown blog soon - I'm curious about the tofu-based crema and sauce - which were my favorite components of tonight's tasting. 

For $17 total, I got to try some excellent wine, get my Om on, and have a crack at multiple courses. There were some small issues with feeding a large, unexpected crowd (they were only anticipating 30 but easily had to feed double that) but everyone got a taste of what Small Plates Philadelphia was about and I left in a cloud of yogi-wino bliss.